The rear caliper guides are needed to complete several tasks. Firstly, they are responsible for the lack of ringing of car brakes, and secondly, for the uniformity of braking. The main problem is that this element wears out quite quickly, although much depends on the make of the car. Let's see how to lubricate yourself, and if necessary, change the caliper guides.
Some general information
Before starting work, it is necessary to determine what, in fact, is the problem. But the thing is that the hum and creak during braking can occur for several banal reasons. As a rule, this is the critical wear of the part or the complete or partial lack of lubrication under the boot. This complexity can be called easy, the only problem can arise if the anthers are stuck, but this is quickly resolved. For starters, it is advisable to install the vehicle on a viewing hole or use a lift. In most cases, a normal jack is sufficient. We remove the wheel and see actually our problem area, which we will have to work with in the near future. If everything is very dirty and nothing is clear, then we pick up a brush for metal and carefully clean everything. Try not to damage the anthers, as they are made of thin rubber.
Essential Tools
Immediately let's deal with the tools. First of all, you need to find the original repair kit for the rear caliper, which consists of a number of spare parts, such as the boot of the guides and piston, grease, cuff, etc. To make the replacement and lubrication process take as little time as possible, get a hammer and a flat screwdriver, preferably carry a set of heads and a torque wrench. A clean rag should be at hand, since you will have to work with grease. If the room is dark, then install additional lighting, you can use a special lamp, so it will be much more comfortable. Now we can move on to the practical part of solving the problem. To do this, remove the rear wheel from the car, having previously lifted the side with a jack and installed back rolls in front of the vehicle.
Caliper Guide Replacement
We unscrew with the appropriate key the bolts from all the guides, there are 4 of them. To do this, you need to use two tools: one of them twist the outer bolt, and the second to keep the nut from turning. After completing this step, you can easily slide the caliper up. It often happens that he comes out of the pads quite tight. To solve this problem, use a hammer and light strokes, swinging the device in different directions, take it to where you need it. After that, the guides of the rear calipers can be removed without problems, because they are kept only on the boot. Its dismantling is quite quick and easy. It is enough to touch the rubber element with a screwdriver and remove it. Please note that the upper finger, unlike the lower one, has a step in the seat that creates play. When assembling, do not mix them up. This completes the replacement of the caliper guides, you can proceed to the next step.
We continue repair work
If you notice that the brake caliper guides rusted, then immediately change them. If the condition is satisfactory, then you can leave. Do not forget to dismantle the guide pads, as a rule, they snap directly into the caliper bracket. Now proceed to cleaning the removed items. To do this, you can use sandpaper (fine grain). Before applying grease, degrease parts. Do not forget to carry out exactly the same actions with the guide pads, since during operation dirt and water get under the boot, which significantly reduces the operational properties of lubricants. After that, you can install new parts, or old ones, at your discretion. After the assembly is complete, take a metal brush and go through the brakes, look at the degree of wear of the pads, it is possible that they will have to be replaced soon.
Which lubricant to choose?
The question is sensitive enough for any motorist. In order for the caliper guides to work under normal conditions and ensure proper safety during movement, it is recommended to use high-temperature grease. This will almost completely eliminate the likelihood of jamming or jamming of brake pads during movement. When you repair, be sure to pay attention to the condition of the boot guide. The fact is that dirt and other foreign inclusions fall under it. The grease is washed out and loses its original properties. If the guides of the front calipers are wedged, then with a probability of 99% we can say that the matter is in the lubricant. Each brake pad replacement must include a guide inspection. Remove the boot, remove a layer of old grease and apply a new one to the non-greasy surface. Staples, as well as the metal surfaces of the pads, must also be processed. For this, anti-charge paste is used. The lubricant can be copper-based or ceramic-added (magnesium, disulfide).
How to properly lubricate the caliper guides
If you have not done this for a long time, then now is the time. First you need a tube of grease. If you purchased a repair kit, then there it is. The paste has an orange color. If the grease for the guides in the car dealerships cannot be found, which most often happens, then we buy high-temperature paste, several bags of 6 grams each. First remove the two caliper guides and treat them from dust and dirt. If possible, it is advisable to change the anthers. If you will not install new ones, then remove the old ones, wash them and dry them. Lubricate the finger with a thin layer over the entire surface. Under the anthers, a little grease must also be applied. By the way, do not overdo it, because there is no sense in the fact that the layer will be large. You can put a little paste in the anthers and immediately before installing them. If there are defects on the rubber, then the spare parts must be replaced, because they will not cope with their immediate task, the problem with a creak will soon arise again. We proceed to the next question - this is the installation of a non-native rail on the car.
About installing a finger on a car
As already noted above, if you notice a knock, creak or other unpleasant sounds in the area of the braking mechanisms of your car, then, most likely, the matter is in the pads or guides. There are 3 ways out of the situation. Just grease everything, install a new repair kit (quite expensive) or with a lot of wear on the rails, put in new ones, but from a different car. If the finger is longer than needed, no problem. You can use a file for metal and cut it to the desired thickness. After this, it is necessary to remove all burrs from the treated edge so that there is no jamming during operation. As practice shows, if the diameter of the
brake disc is the same, then there should be no problems. In the same way, the boot of the guide caliper should sit on a new “finger” without any undue effort.
Knock Control
Most users complain of the re-occurrence of knocking after a complex replacement of the caliper guides or its lubrication. In this case, you can take some measures, for example, use a special aluminum tape, but this will help only a few thousand kilometers. Another good way is to simply install the brackets on the caliper. In some cases, those already exist, but if not, then in most cases it is this method that helps to solve all problems with a creak or knock. If you perform all the actions in a complex, the result will be positive. To do this, it is necessary to change the guides, lubricate them before installation, also pay attention to the anthers, or rather, their condition. Install the brackets (springs) and enjoy the result.
A few important points
If, after removing the guide calipers, you notice that your fingers are very worn out, then it makes no sense to repair them, it is easier to replace them. It will be faster and cheaper. Remember that during city or aggressive driving with frequent braking, you need to buy a lubricant that does not change its composition and properties with increasing temperature. The reason for this is that the discs can heat up to 300 degrees Celsius or even higher. As for the repair itself, this is a rather expensive procedure, which is far from always advisable. However, if you still decide on it, then get repair guide pins and drills of a suitable diameter. The whole point is that the purchased finger has a diameter of 10 mm with a standard 9.5 millimeters. It is bored, lubricated and installed back into place.
Conclusion
In this article, much has been said about how to personally replace the guides. Without lubrication, nothing will work, and if it does, it will not last very long, due to the high coefficient of friction and temperature, due to which anthers and other parts will be damaged quite quickly. Again, the process of replacing the rear and front calipers and their repair is fundamentally no different. It is also important to know that the finger - the guide caliper - has a hole from which you need to get grease and lay a new one there, for more efficient operation. Install all parts in the reverse order from removal, tighten everything thoroughly. The fingers should move freely on the working surface, but not loose, that is, without play. Check if the knock is gone, then you have achieved your goal. If the problem persists, you should contact a qualified specialist for help.